The highest number of people in Samoa for five years put their names into the hat for this year's ballot to get an opportunity to live and work in New Zealand.
Seventeen thousand applications were made for the Samoan quota and when family members are included that makes up nearly a quarter of Samoa's population.
High numbers of applicants were also received from Fiji and Tonga.
But not everyone whose name is drawn manages to turn the opportunity into a new life.
Philippa Tolley visited the Tongan capital Nukualofa to find out why.
Maxine was lucky in the ballot and will leave her garden in Tonga behind if she can get a job. Photo: Supplied
